CELEBRATING 100 YEARS OF TOURISM

The calender will be distributed amongst the associate organisations of the Tourist Board, public institutions and to companies most closely connected with tourism throughout Europe. Miquel Vicens, the Board's president, said yesterday that the calendar, whose print run will be limited to 2'000 copies, will have a value for “collectors” as it shows historic poster promotions, brochures, paintings and watercolours belonging to the Board.

He pointed out that in the past the group had always produced a calendar on an annual basis, although due to lack of funding, the activity had to be dropped twelve years ago.

Historic images
Vicens thanked the “La Caixa” banking foundation for their collaboration in sponsoring this historic calender on the occasion of the centenary of the Majorcan Tourist Board. Head of “La Caixa” in the Balearics, Francisco Conrado said he was very pleased to have been able to assist in heralding such an event, an important landmark in Balearic tourist industry tradition.

The images on the calendar are spread out over the twelve months of the year in chronological order. Specifically, January portrays an image of the Grand Hotel in Palma, one hundred years ago, as it was the first establishment of its kind to be classified as a hotel. The month also shows the first tourist promotion brochure on Majorca emblazoned with the Island's coat of arms, which was published in Switzerland .

Highlighted amongst other images, is a watercolour by the Austrian painter, Erwin Hubert, who produced a series of works based on “an idyllic Majorca”. There is also a print of a painting by Joan Miro which was given as a gift to the Tourist Board; its image was used as the organisation's logo. Other designs include illustrations of posters which were printed to celebrate the 50th and 75th anniversaries of the Tourist Board, along with promotional material which reflects the tourist “boom” in the Islands. The Tourist Board's managing director Tomeu Deia, went on to describe other images on the centenary calendar such as one devised in the 1940s to promote the historic presence of Friar Juniper Serra in the United States. A native of Petra, the friar was responsible for setting up the California missions in the 18th century when the state was still owned by the Spanish. Another image alluded to the fashionable Majorcan Music festival held on the Island in 1978. President Vicens gave a reminder that the next event organised to commemorate the Board's centenary will be a special promotion on a stand at Fitur, the tourist trade fair to be held in Madrid this coming January. He said however, that the most important celebratory occasion will take place during the summer of 2005.